Hotel on the Moon? June 24, 2008

“Enjoy the view – enjoy low gravity – enjoy your stay”-The Hotel Lunatic websiteIn my meanderings across the sphere of the Moon’s presence on the internet, I came across this one particularly eccentric little corner: the Hotel Lunatic.

It’s a draw-up (and a Dutch draw-up, at that) of a lunar hotel concept. There’s an interactive section where you can check out different aspects of the ‘proposed’ towers, and a design aspects list noting that a “good view of the Earth”, a “beacon effect” for people landing on the Moon, and an optimal view of the lunar surface (which probably isn’t too hard).

It’s an interesting and whimsical look into the possibilties of integration on the moon. Waste away on Margarita 1 and take in the sights of the Sea of Tranquility (though, realistically, a hotel would be located someplace not on a mare, as the maria will be big mining targets and that doesn’t typically make for great scenery).

“The rimea Prinz area has been transformed into a nature reserve to preserve the beauty of the moon and not to be polluted by footprint ect.”-The Hotel Lunatic FAQAnd once again, I see that I’m not the only one with an eye on the idea of preservation on the Moon. I get the impression in my readings and research that there’s a latent consciousness and want for lunar preservation, which is interesting, as the environmentalism movement began around the time NASA’s and other space programs declined (though of course, national parks had been established long before). Barren as the moon is, this was not something I took as a guarantee.